Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Rick & Morty season 8, episode 4, “The Last Temptation of Jerry”.Throughout its eight seasons,Rick and Mortyhas developed all kinds of traditions, but one of its more popular ones may have just ended for good. Between the show’s more story-orientated episodes and its less frequently recurring concepts like the Interdimensional Cable adventures, the animated series has created plenty of ideas to keep viewers coming back.Rick and Mortyhas even experimented with solo episodesin recent seasons - another custom that could become commonplace in the chaotic franchise - buta long-standing tradition may have shockingly come to an end in “The Last Temptation of Jerry”.
The entire episode revolved around Easter, with Jerry’s desperate attempt to get his family to celebrate the holiday quickly turning sour. After running over the Easter Bunny, Jerry began to inherit its spirit, causing a crazy plot with all kinds of ridiculous twists and turns. WhileRick and Mortyseason 8, episode 4’s post-credits sceneprovided a tragic conclusion to Reinhard Kincaid’s story after he helped save the day, “The Last Temptation of Jerry’s” true ending hinted at the series being done with holiday specials after the Smith family took measures to avoid repeating their Easter disaster.
“The Last Temptation Of Jerry” Suggested The Smith Family Were Done Celebrating Holidays
The Smith Family Rejected Holiday Traditions After Jerry’s Easter Mishap
Although Jerry’s desire for his family to celebrate Easter was genuinely innocent, his collision with the Easter Bunny caused a domino effect that eventually led to the Smith family completely rejecting all holidays. Considering they’ve had plenty of bizarre holidays in the past, it’s no surprise that these celebrations were already on thin ice for the Smiths, but Jerry’s Easter fiasco proved to be the last straw. After hitting the Easter Bunny with his car, the animal’s spirit started possessing Jerry and nearly forced Earth’s entire population to become overwhelmed with sexual desires.
Had it not been for General Reinhard Kincaid’s timely arrival, it’s anyone’s guess how the episode could have ended. Thankfully, the Christ trooper managed to contain the spirit inside an Easter Egg and helped things return to normal. Still,despite their close escape, the Smith family decided enough was enough and denounced holidays completely, confirming they were officially done with celebrating these traditions. Going one step further, they even decided to sabotage these occasions for everyone else, prompting a montage of the family destroying festive ornaments, disrupting 4th of July barbecues, and eating pizza on Thanksgiving to prevent further problems.
Even more niche celebrations like Cinco de Mayo and Earth Day weren’t safe, proving how serious they were about exiling these special occasions, with Morty claiming “I’m happy we did all the other religious holidays off-screen.” Their actions suggested that major events like Christmas and Halloween will have no significance to them anymore, meaningRick and Mortymay stick to parodies ofThe Matrixand other pop culture phenomenons, rather than holidays. While the whole sequence could be nothing more than a simple gag, there’s also a real possibility thatRick and Mortyis actually done with these specials permanently.
If “The Last Temptation Of Jerry” Is Rick & Morty’s Final Holiday Special, I’ll Be Disappointed
“The Last Temptation Of Jerry” Was One Of Rick & Morty’s Weaker Holiday Specials
Assuming “The Last Temptation of Jerry” really wasRick and Morty’s last-ever holiday special, I can’t help but feel it’s a little bit of a disappointing way to end this popular tradition. Although there is no set rule on how often these types of episodes occur, knowing we will see the Smiths involved in some sort of holiday shenanigans is always a fun premise, and they usually deliver. Unfortunately, despiteRick and Mortyseason 8’s good reviews, “The Last Temptation of Jerry” has been one of the weaker installments so far, and these specials deserve a better send-off.
The in-universe reason behind the Smiths quitting holidays entirely feels perfect, as Jerry’s transformation into a sex-crazed Easter Bunny is enough to scar anyone, even a family who has been through so much insanity. However, the episode itself left a lot to be desired, as the premise went a little bit too far. WhileRick and Morty’s unorthodox humor isn’t for everyone, fans know by now exactly what to expect, as the series rarely pulls its punches. That said, even as someone who loves the show’s quirky nature, this plot felt borderline uncomfortable at times, which outweighed the comedy.
The likes of “Anatomy Park” and “Rattlestar Ricklactica” are much better outings themed around Christmas and prove that on its day, the animated series can deliver adventures based on special occasions.
“The Last Temptation of Jerry” is still a long way away from beingRick and Morty’s worst episode, but I doubt many fans will be rushing back to rewatch it, unlike some of the previous specials. The likes of “Anatomy Park” and “Rattlestar Ricklactica” are much better outings themed around Christmas and prove that on its day, the animated series can deliver adventures based on special occasions. Therefore, if the franchise really is moving away from this concept, we need one more high-quality holiday episode to properly wrap up this iconic tradition.
Why Rick & Morty Could Still Do More Holiday Specials In The Future
The Show’s Longevity Means It’s Bound To Tackle Another Holiday At Some Point In The Coming Seasons
Despite “The Last Temptation of Jerry” suggesting the Smiths were done with holidays,Rick and Mortycould easily still find ways to work major celebrations into the show’s future. First and foremost,the animated series has been renewed until season 12, meaning there are at least four more seasons to come. As a result, a lot could change within the franchise in the coming years, and it would be a long time to go without including a single episode revolving around a special occasion.
Additionally, a lot of the previous holiday specials haven’t necessarily revolved around the celebrations themselves, but more so adventures set around events like Christmas. Just because the Smiths no longer celebrate doesn’t mean the rest of the world will suddenly stop, suggesting that the protagonists could be forced to confront something holiday-themed in future seasons. Likewise, the series could opt to explore a more minor occasion as a way to phase these types of episodes back into the franchise in the hopes that viewers will forget about the Smith family’s decision in “The Last Temptation of Jerry”.
Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode Titles
Episode 1 - “Summer of All Fears”
Episode 4 - “The Last Temptation of Jerry”
Episode 5 - “Cryo Mort a Rickver”
Episode 10 - “Hot Rick”
June 22, 2025
Few people would have suspectedRick and Mortyseason 8 to include an Easter episode, so going down a Valentine’s Day route or something a bit more obscure like Star Wars Day could be a fun concept. It wouldn’t be surprising for the show to reverse the no-holiday rule set in season 8, episode 4, and an episode about someone like Jerry or Morty trying to sneakily celebrate only to cause more problems could keep some continuity. Either way, withRick and Mortystill having a healthy future ahead of it, holiday specials aren’t off the table just yet.
